Arvind Kejriwal and his three ministers are on a sit-in at L-G's residence since Monday seeking his intervention in ending the ongoing boycott of the Delhi government by IAS officers who come under the jurisdiction of the Centre.

The BJP’s key ally Janata Dal (United) United today joined the league of the opposition parties who have voiced their support to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government whose leaders are on a sit-in for last eight days at L-G Anil Baijal’s residence to press for various demands. The stand taken by the JD(U) may put the BJP government on the back foot on its stand of calling the Arvind Kejriwal government’s dharna a drama and an insult to the people’s mandate.

In a series of tweets, JD(U) spokesperson Pavan Kumar Verma noted that CM Kejriwal has assured the protesting officers security and thus they should resume their mandated duties. “Arvind Kejriwal while condemning the alleged misbehaviour against the Chbief Secretary, now that the CM’s has assured IAS officers regarding their safety, and appealed to them to resume their mandated duties, they must do so immediately, for the people of Delhi.’

In another tweet, Verma expressed fear that this can happen against any elected government which will destroy the foundation of country’s democratic values in long run. “Arvind Kejriwal those urging officers to non-cooperate against the elected government of the day, may reap the immediate political benefit but will destroy the very foundations of our Republic in the long run. What can happen against one elected government can happen against another too!”

The reaction from JD(U) comes a day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu, Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy and Kerala CM P Vijayan called on PM Modi and asked him to end the crisis in the national capital. They had even visited Kejriwal’ residence to meet his family. Besides them, CPI(M) has also extended support to Kejriwal, accusing BJP of trying to destabilise the non-BJP ruled states.

Kejriwal and his three ministers are on a sit-in at L-G’s residence since Monday seeking his intervention in ending the ongoing boycott of the Delhi government by IAS officers who come under the jurisdiction of the Centre because Delhi happens to be a Union Territory and thus Centre has a say in every final call through the L-G.

According to Kejriwal, IAS officers in the national capital are only attending their regular offices and are not attending meetings convened by the ministers. The officers of the Delhi government and Kejriwal’s ministers are at loggerheads ever since AAP leaders and ministers allegedly assaulted Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash at the CM’s residence over non-clearance of an advertisement file.

Meanwhile, senior BJP leader Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that the AAP government has lost the trust of the people of Delhi who had voted it to power with a brute majority. “Karne mein zero, dharne mein hero, Karna kuch nahi dharna sab kuch’. (Zero in performance, but hero in dharna. Have no work to do, except dharna). This is their mindset, it is destroying the trust people of Delhi had put in them,” he said.